One of my hopes in coming on the race was that God would give me greater perspective and help me see more of how He is working around the world. This last month in Armenia God really blew me away as He opened my eyes to so much more than I ever could have imagined. Armenia has faced so much persecution throughout the years, yet it has remained steadfast. And despite the wounds and scars they hold, many of the people I met only feel love and forgiveness towards those who’ve hurt them.
Here’s a bit of the backstory: Armenia is bordered by Georgia, Iran, Turkey, and Azerbaijan. The borders between Turkey and Azerbaijan are closed due to current wars and past wounds. In 1915, the Armenian genocide occurred where mass killings of Armenians were initiated by the Turks. To this day, Turkey refuses to admit that the genocide happened. Hence why their border is closed. Also, Mt. Ararat, which you can see from the capital, used to be in Armenian territory, but is now considered part of Turkey thus leading to even more bitterness. And then after the Soviet Union fell in 1989, Russia took some of Armenia’s land and gave it to Azerbaijan thus initiating a war between the two countries that has yet to be resolved. Despite all of this, Armenia has held on to its Christian roots.
Armenia reminds me a bit of Cyprus—it is a “Christian” country that is surrounded by a hotbed of political and religious mess. What I think is so cool is that God has deliberately set up places around the world where His light is shining bright even though the neighboring countries are extremely dark. Just like Cyprus has become a base for many long-term workers in the Middle East, Armenia has become a base for many long-term workers in Central Asia.
While we were in Yerevan, we got connected with an Armenian church called Word of Life. The church was full of passionate, Jesus-loving people, which was so exciting to see! It brought so much joy to my heart. We were able to take part in a discipleship conference that focused on teaching people how to make disciples, not just converts. We definitely learned a lot, but it was also really neat to see the Armenians get excited about seeing God radically change their country and the surrounding countries. They have so many amazing opportunities here. For example, during the Iranian New Year, many Iranians come to Yerevan to drink—something you obviously can’t do in Iran. Church members were talking about how they love this time of year because the lost are literally coming to them. There were several stories of Iranian people coming to Christ here in Armenia. Someone told me that the sign on the border crossing between Iran and Armenia says, “Be careful, they may give you a Bible.” THAT IS SO COOL!
Please pray for the country of Armenia. It is in such a strategic location and God is doing some seriously cool stuff here. Pray that God will continue to light up Armenian hearts to take His name to the nations around them.
As for our squad, we are currently en route to Kazakhstan where we will begin month eight! Where did the time go? I have no idea. We will be working with a host in northern Kazakhstan where the high is currently around 10 degrees. This is going to be interesting…
Until Next Time,
Melanie
